Read Online Where Angels Tread by Clare Kenna - Free Book Online Page B

added hastily, “I understand if you have something else you need to do. You’re already giving up way too much of your time to help Zachary.”
    “I’m happy to,” Shane said, his eyes on Zachary, who was skipping back up the road, clutching the ball to his side. “And I’d love to come inside afterwards. For lemonade, that is.” He blushed, and when Heidi met his eyes, something unspoken seemed to pass between the two of them, a feeling that made Heidi’s heart skip a beat.
    Zachary jogged to their side, his eyes bright with excitement. “Ready?” he asked Shane, practically squirming with anticipation.
    “Ready.”
    *
    Heidi wished she could stand at the front window and take photo after photo of Shane and Zachary playing basketball in the driveway, but she didn’t want her son to know that she was watching. The carefree expression on his face was something that Heidi hadn’t seen since he was a little boy, and she didn’t want to embarrass him or make him feel self-conscious by cheering him on. Instinctively, Heidi knew that this moment was something that Zachary needed to share with Shane, and Shane alone.
    As for Shane, Heidi thought, he seemed to be enjoying himself almost as much as Zachary. From what she could tell, he was trying to teach a dubious-looking Zachary some kind of victory dance that involved wagging his bottom and waving his hands in the air. As he demonstrated it once more, gesturing for Zachary to follow along, Heidi whipped out her phone and took a quick video. This was too good not to immortalize on camera, she thought. Besides, she wouldn’t mind watching it again, in private. Heidi giggled to herself as she dropped her phone back on the table; she was suddenly feeling a little bit reckless.
    She hurried to the front door and swung it open. “Hey!” she called out, and the boys turned around in surprise. “Got room for one more?” She laced up her tennis shoes and jogged down the sidewalk to the basketball hoop. Holding her hands up, she motioned for Shane to toss her the ball. “Give it here.”
    “Mom,” Zachary said, looking doubtful. “You don’t really know how to play.” He looked at Shane for support.
    “Come on! How hard can it be?” Heidi gestured again for the ball. “Just throw it through the hoop, right? It’s not rocket science.”
    A grin lit up Shane’s face as he turned to Zachary. “Let’s give her a shot.”
    “Okay,” Zachary shrugged. “But don’t say I didn’t warn you. She’s terrible,” he added in a mock whisper.
    “I heard that,” Heidi teased. “Better watch out or you’re going to be doing all the chores around the house for the next week.” An idea struck her. “Actually, why don’t we make things a little bit more interesting? We’ll each take ten shots at the hoop. If I make more than you, Zachary, you have to do all the dusting and dishwashing this week.”
    “What about me?” Shane asked mockingly.
    Heidi considered her options for a minute. She could play it safe with Shane, she thought, maybe make a silly little bet that didn’t mean anything. But suddenly, that newfound feeling of recklessness washed over her again, and she realized that she didn’t want to play it safe. What Heidi really wanted was to go for it, to let him know that she was interested. “If I beat you, you buy me dinner this weekend.”
    Shane raised his eyebrows in surprise; if Heidi wasn’t mistaken, and she was praying that she wasn’t, he looked both pleased and flattered. “You’re on,” he said happily, tossing her the ball. She bounced it a few times, trying to familiarize herself with its weight. Then, squaring her shoulders, she lifted it above her head and took aim. She missed the hoop by about three feet.
    Zachary shrieked with glee. “Told you!”
    Ignoring him, Heidi took a deep breath. She needed to make this next shot. It might be all fun and games for Zachary, but for Heidi, something much more important was on the line. Out